"I’m Chris and I am a former Associate Professor and Departmental Chair. I have over ten years of experience teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels as well as some time teaching high school. My PhD is in cell and molecular neuroscience, and I have taught developmental biology, cell and molecular biology, neuroscience, and physiology classes in the past. Philosophically, I’ve long been an advocate for interactive learning and have always encouraged student participation in education. Learning should be a conversation not a monologue. I’ve applied this ideology in classes with 350 students and in one-on-one tutorials. Furthermore, I have long recognized that not everyone absorbs material in the same way and have strived throughout my career to adapt my approach to teaching in the service of students. In the end when learning is fun, entertaining even, students remember.

Educationally, I like to start with overarching concepts then fill in the details. The biological sciences are particularly well served by this style. You frequently see repetition, similar concepts that appear over and over. With a strong conceptual foundation, it becomes a simple matter to add specifics.

As a tutor, I’m open to helping with specific problems or supporting students through an entire course. As a professor I kept extensive office hours, I’d like to do the same here." less...